Monday, February 21, 2005

Happy 10th Anniversary

It was a decade ago while I was working as an IT consultant in California when I received a letter from New Zealand Immigration stating that my family’s application for residency in NZ has been approved.

Mag-iisang taon pa lang ako sa LA noon. Sinuwerte din ako sa LA at may nag-sponsor sa akin ng work permit kaya ako nakapag-trabaho doon ng legal. We (my family and I) were happy to get our NZ residency, but we had to make a difficult decision -- whether to stay in the US where I already have a good paying job, or move to Auckland, NZ where I still have to find a job and a place to stay. Tapos wala pa kaming kamag-anak o kakilala sa Auckland.

To help us make an informed decision, nag decide kami na mag-pasyal muna sa Auckland for a few days, just to see the place first hand. Nagpunta nga kami sa Auckland noong 1995 at 10 days lang kami nag-stay.

First glimpse of Auckland, we already fell in love with the place. The place is clean and green with lots of beautiful parks and beaches. The summer weather was perfect. Not hot and humid, but refreshingly cool. But I guess what appealed to us most and made us really decide to move here was the people.

One time we were walking along Albert Park, looking lost (which you may say is my normal appearance), I was trying to figure out our location on a map, a student approached us and asked "Can I help you?". Sabi ko: "No, thank you, we’re fine". Sa isip ko, natuwa ako at meron pa palang mga taong may kusang mag-offer ng tulong.

In another incident, nasa playground kami ng park, at may dalawang bata, ages 5 and 7 years old and dumating at nakipag-laro sa anak ko. Jean asked where their parents are kasi medyo nagtataka lang kami at nandoon sila na walang kasamang adults. We found out that their parents were in one of the nearby houses. It dawned on us that in Auckland pala, it was safe to let kids play by themselves! Kasi sa LA, kahit sa harap ng apartment namin kailangan pang bantayan si Fidez sa paglalaro. Later we got to meet the parents of the 2 kids, Richard and Sharon Jones (no joke!). The Jones's even invited us for dinner the following day and to this day we’ve remained friends.

The impressions on New Zealand we got during those 10 days in Auckland have made us decide to permantly settle in Auckland 12 months later in 1996. To this day we’ve never regretted that decision. Yung ibang nakikilala namin nagugulat kapag nalalaman nila na galing na kami ng States at lumipat pa sa NZ. Tanong nila kaagad bakit? Di ba mas mataas ang sweldo sa US? Totoo yon, pero isa lang ang sagot ko diyan. LIFESTYLE. Some things in life cannot be measured by how much money you earn. A stroll on the beach, Sunday at the park, the sense of security, being stress-free. All these make up the lifestyle we choose.

Para sa amin, New Zealand is definitely the perfect place to raise a family. Where you can let your kids play and run around like kids. Not afraid of child molesters or kidnappers. Where people around you are friendly and more trusting and not paranoid of one another. Where fellow kababayans are more than willing to approach and assist other kababayans. At importante sa lahat, kapag kinausap mo ang isang Pinoy ng Tagalog, sa Tagalog din siya sasagot. Ewan ko ba, bakit kung minsan may mga kababayan tayo na ilang taon palang sa abroad, nalilimutan na ang mag-tagalog?

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About

Reflections on life, my past and anything under the sun as well as a journal of how it is to live in Aotearoa, "The Land of the Long White Cloud", which is New Zealand, from the viewpoint of a middle class Filipino family. Mga hinagpis, kakwelahan, ka-homesick-an ng isang Pinoy sa lupa ng mga ibong walang pakpak (kiwis) na mahaba ang tuka.

About Me

tipikal na pinoy workng in the IT industry. pero hindi mukhang nerd (that's what you think, sabi naman ng bruha kong anak). may maganda, mabait at napaka-sarap maglutong asawa at isang napakatalinong (mana sa ina), nagdadalagang anak. i've been in IT since the early 80's (tanda na no?). have worked in Saudi Arabia, then in Cal,USA, before finally settling in Auckland in '96.

Living in NZ

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